Tag: Racing

Michael Dubb and Gandharvi's graded-stakes winner Battle Bling will look to add to her spoils when she headlines a talented field of 11 in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand, a one-turn mile for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Go for Wand, slated for Race 8, is part of a lucrative 10-race card topped by the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets in Race 9. Also featured are the nine-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen for juveniles in Race 7 offering 10-4-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points; and the nine-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle for juveniles fillies in Race 6 with 10-4-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on the line. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

Battle Bling, trained by Rob Atras, made the grade last out with a gate-to-wire score in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm Handicap here on Nov. 4 under returning rider Kendrick Carmouche. The neck victory over graded-stakes winner Nostalgic registered a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

The 4-year-old Vancouver dark bay was claimed for $62,500 from a runner-up effort in December here and has since posted a record of 4-4-0 in nine starts, including scores in the nine-furlong Ladies in January at the Big A and the 1 1/16-mile Twixt in October at Laurel Park. During that stretch, Battle Bling also notched runner-up finishes at Aqueduct in the one-mile Heavenly Prize Invitational and the nine-furlong Top Flight Invitational, as well as in Delaware Park's 1 1/16-mile Obeah, all of which came with a margin of defeat of three-quarter lengths or less.

“She's been remarkable for us. She's just bounced out of every race good and trained forwardly. She's been very nice to have,” Atras said. “She's shipped and won. She's run at four or five different tracks for us and the results have pretty much always been the same.”

The improving filly, who boasts a record of 5-2-3-0 at Aqueduct, has breezed back twice, including an easy half-mile in 52.39 seconds Saturday over the main track at Belmont Park.

“She came out of the race well,” Atras said. “You never know when they run that hard and that frequently, like she has, running in stakes every month since last winter, but she's kind of an iron horse. She's training forwardly. We just gave her a couple of light breezes and she's been real sharp out of it.”

Battle Bling, who has raced prominently in her recent starts, closed to finish second in her two previous attempts at Aqueduct one-turn miles, including when claimed in December and a narrow neck defeat to returning rival Bank Sting in the Heavenly Prize Invitational on March 6 in her second start for new connections.

Atras said he will let Carmouche determine the right trip for Battle Bling.

“A mile here can play closer to a sprint, but it depends how the race sets up,” Atras said. “We've run a mile with this filly before and they almost got away from her a little too much. We had to use her a little bit to stay in position and she still ran second, but didn't finish up like we thought. Hopefully, she breaks good and then it's up to her and Kendrick where they want to be.”

Battle Bling will exit post 3 carrying a field-high 125 pounds.

Hidden Brook Farm, Joseph G. McMahon and Anne McMahon's multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Bank Sting [post 10, Joel Rosario] will look to make the grade for trainer John Terranova.

The 5-year-old Central Banker mare has made her last three starts against fellow state-breds, finishing second in the one-mile Critical Eye in May at Belmont Park ahead of a prominent 5 1/2-length romp in the six-furlong Dancin Renee in June over Big Sandy. She returned from a four-month layoff last out to finish second in the 6 1/2-furlong Iroquois on October 30 at Belmont at the Big A.

Bred in the Empire State by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Bank Sting has won 5-of-6 starts at Aqueduct, including consecutive stakes wins in the December 2021 NYSSS Staten Island traveling seven-eighths ahead of the seven-furlong La Verdad in January and the aforementioned one-mile Heavenly Prize Invitational.

Cash is King and LC Racing's multiple stakes-placed Dr B [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], trained by Butch Reid, Jr., enters from close runner-up efforts in the 6 1/2-furlong Roamin Rachel over sloppy and sealed going on October 3 at Parx and the seven-furlong Pumpkin Pie last out on October 29 at Belmont at the Big A.

The 4-year-old Liam's Map bay boasts a consistent record of 15-4-5-2 for purse earnings of $238,690, including a runner-up effort last July in an off-the-turf edition of the Blue Sparkler at Monmouth Park.

A half-sister to stakes winners Stand Up Comic and Hi Holiday, Dr B is out of the graded-stakes placed Proud Citizen mare Boleyn, who is a half-sister to stakes winner Magnificent Val and Footlights – winner of the 2007 Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup Steeplechase Handicap.

Aveen Campion's Flight to Shanghai [post 9, Manny Franco] was claimed for $40,000 last out from a sixth-place finish traveling one mile on October 20 at Laurel Park.

Now trained by Horacio De Paz, the 4-year-old Shanghai Bobby bay boasts a record of 15-3-3-2 for purse earnings of $142,680, including a third-place finish in the one mile and 70 yard Serena's Song in May at Monmouth.

Flight to Shanghai has breezed back four times at Laurel Park, including a half-mile in 49.40 Monday.

“She's been working well. She's a pretty classy filly and pretty straightforward,” De Paz said. “The breezes have been good – nice and easy. She does seem a speedy-type filly. This will be the first time we run her and they had blinkers on for her last race, so we'll play with that a bit.

“We've been working her with them and she's been working well and galloping out well, so maybe we'll cut her back to a little cheater cup,” De Paz added. “She had a bigger cup blinker the day she ran.”

De Paz said he is hopeful the claim will pay immediate dividends.

“The owners spotted her and asked what I thought of her and we won a six-way shake on her,” De Paz said. “If she could get some black type it would be good for her as they plan on selling her in January.”

Out of the Quiet American mare World Event, Flight to Shanghai is a half-sister to the graded-stakes placed pair of He's So Fine and Auntjenn.

Main Line Racing Stable's graded-stakes placed Love in the Air [post 1, Paco Lopez] enters on a two-race win streak for trainer John Servis.

The 4-year-old Constitution bay has made her last three starts at Parx, finishing a prominent third in the Grade 3 Dr. James Penny Memorial over 1 1/16-miles of firm turf in July ahead of frontrunning scores in the 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf Mrs. Penny in August and the one mile and 70 yards Plum Pretty last out on September 24 over the main track.

Servis said returning rider Paco Lopez will likely work out a stalking trip.

“We're cutting back to one turn, so I expect there to be a lot more speed than usual,” Servis said. “She's a horse who likes to stalk anyways, and I think she can sit a little off the pace and have something to run at. She's only had a handful of one-turn races and she's run really well in both of them. She's run good for us every time. I have no complaints about her whatsoever.”

Love in the Air started her career with Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, making her first two starts in 2020 on Tapeta at Woodbine Racetrack. She graduated in an off-the-turf maiden special weight in July 2021 at Ellis Park before being purchased by Servis for $130,000 later that month at the Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Sale.

“We bought her out of a racing age sale over a year ago and kicked her out on the farm. She's come back and just got continually better,” Servis said. “The filly has really progressed and is training really well going into the race. We're really excited about her.”

Although Love in the Air has won 4-of-5 dirt starts, Servis said the filly will eventually get another try on turf.

“She didn't have the opportunity for grass again after the race at Parx and she's run well on the dirt, so we'll stick there for now,” Servis said. “We might try her again on the turf one day, but she'll give you her best on any surface.”

Bred in Pennsylvania by Blackstone Farm, Love in the Air is out of the undefeated multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Freud mare Lovely Syn.

David Bernsen, Exline-Border Racing, Steve Dorfman and Richard Hausman's Sharapova [post 5, John Velazquez] ships in from California for trainer Peter Eurton to make her first start since an off-the-board effort in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Santa Margarita on April 30 at Santa Anita.

The 4-year-old Outwork bay graduated at third asking in a one-mile maiden claimer in May 2021 at Santa Anita and captured the one-mile Harry Henson two starts back on March 27 at Sunland Park.

Rounding out the field are the graded-stakes placed duo Exotic West [post 2, Dylan Davis] and Tonal Vision [post 11, Junior Alvarado]; stakes winners W W Fitzy [post 4, Javier Castellano] and Betsy Blue [post 8, Jose Lezcano]; and six-time winner Self Isolation [post 6, Jose Ortiz].

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post ‘She’s Kind Of An Iron Horse’: Battle Bling Heads Field Of 11 In Go For Wand appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Happy Face Racing Stable's Malibu Moonshine, scratched as a top contender from last month's Maryland Million with a fever, returns to Laurel Park to make her Maryland and stakes debut in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Fillies.

The 36th running of the Juvenile Fillies and 41st edition of the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile, both seven-furlong sprints for Maryland-bred/sired 2-year-olds, co-headline a nine-race program that begins at 12:05 p.m.

Bred by Dr. Ronald Harris Parker, Malibu Moonshine is based in New York with trainer Charlton Baker, who captured the Feb. 19 Barbara Fritchie (G3) with Glass Ceiling in his first trip to Laurel since winning the 2017 Primonetta with Absatootly.

Malibu Moonshine, by Bourbon Courage, overcame a poor break to rally for a popular six-length maiden special weight triumph Sept. 11 at historic Pimlico Race Course in her only race to date.

“She always showed promise. She worked great coming up to that race,” Baker said. “We had her in Saratoga and we were planning on running her there. The owner suggested because she's a Maryland-bred that we ship her to Maryland to run her, so we did that.

“She ran pretty good. She broke not great but she didn't show her normal speed. I thought it was just a little greenness, but she sort of kicked in on the turn and won like we expected her to do,” Baker said. “She overcame a lot. It was a sloppy track and she took some dirt. She got a lot of experience for a horse that's had one start. It wasn't the strongest field, but she did what she had to do.”

Baker planned to bring Malibu Moonshine back for the Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 22, but the chestnut filly got sick and was withdrawn the morning of the race, won by Chickieness, who returns Saturday.

“She had a little setback when she was supposed to ship for the stake. She got a temperature that morning when we came in to get her ready, so that kind of gave her a little setback going forward,” Baker said. “But she's doing good. We missed a little time with her but she's good enough to get back racing, so we'll take a shot with her.”

Malibu Moonshine has had three timed breezes since missing the Lassie including a bullet five-furlong move in 1:00.20 Nov. 28 over the Belmont Park training track. Angel Cruz gets the riding assignment from the rail in a field of 11.

“She's been training good. Her last few works have been pretty good,” Baker said. “She always showed some potential in her works. She was a horse that we knew would be OK. She worked against some good horses and she did fine. She's a nice little filly and she's going to get better.”

Chickieness, bred in Maryland by trainer Jamie Ness' Jagger Inc., which co-owns the daughter of Blofeld with Morris Kernan, came with a steady run to register a 1 ½-length win as the favorite in the Lassie after finishing second to then-undefeated Bound by Destiny in a successive Delaware Park stakes. She has never been off the board in six starts.

Last out, Chickieness ran third in a Nov. 14 optional claiming allowance at Laurel to Tappin Josie, claimed out of that race for $62,500 by fall meet-leading trainer Brittany Russell, who is represented Saturday by Bosserati. The Joel Politi homebred was third in the Lassie after setting the pace and figures to be a factor up front once again.

After facing Chickieness and Bound by Destiny at Delaware, Louis J. Ulman's Skylar's Sister ran a strong second in the Lassie, less than a length ahead of Bosserati. She exits the same Nov. 14 optional claimer as Chickieness and Bosserati where she had to settle for fourth after finding trouble.

“What happened was she had some traffic early on and she had to wait and go around and was wide. The winner was really strong, but I didn't think we got beat that far for second,” trainer Dale Capuano said. “I think the ground we lost may have cost us second, but she tried. We'll give her a try in here and see what happens.”

Carlos Lopez, up in her last race, has the return call from Post 9.

“She's doing fine,” Capuano said. “She's run into some pretty nice horses, so I expect her to run one of her better races Saturday.”

Angel Art, Fast Tracked and Touisset all enter the Juvenile Fillies off maiden wins. Copper Penny Stables' Angel Art, trained by two-time Juvenile Fillies winner Mark Shuman, dueled through the stretch but held on for a three-quarter-length triumph while drifting in in a six-furlong maiden special weight Nov. 19 at Laurel. Queen of Song (2008) and Spotted Heart (2014) are Shuman's previous winners.

Greg Tatum's Fast Tracked was a determined maiden claiming winner over Cynergy's Electra Nov. 6 at Laurel going seven furlongs in her only start, while Paul Berube, Karen Linnell and Spinnaker Hill Farm's Touisset sprung a 12-1 upset of her six-furlong maiden claimer second time out Nov. 3 at Delaware Park.

JoAnn Smith's Gormley's Gabriela finished third at odds of 24-1 in the Nov. 12 Smart Halo at Laurel, her stakes debut. Her trainer, Hamilton Smith, previously won the Juvenile Fillies with Gin Talking (1999), True Sensation (2001), Pour It On (2003), Money Fromheaven (2018) and Luna Belle (2021).

Cynergy's Electra, younger half-sister to 2021 Timonium Juvenile winner Cynergy's Star, and maiden claiming winners Liquidator and Rowsie Express complete the field.

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Charles J. Reed's homebred Johnyz From Albany, coming off a career-best performance, will face six rivals led by undefeated Post Time as he goes after a second straight stakes victory in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Juvenile at Laurel Park.

The 41st running of the Maryland Juvenile co-headlines a nine-race program with the 36th edition of the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Fillies, both for Maryland-bred/sired horses sprinting seven furlongs.

First race post time is 12:05 p.m.

Charles Reed's homebred gelding Johnyz From Albany will be making his fifth start, having graduated at first asking in a five-furlong maiden special weight Aug. 21 at Laurel. He respectively ran third and second in successive optional claiming allowance attempts behind next-out stakes winners Super Chow and Recruiter, the latter which remains undefeated.

Johnyz From Albany posted a mild upset in his most recent start, a front-running five-length triumph in the six-furlong Maryland Million Nursery Oct. 22 at Laurel under first-time rider Jorge Ruiz, who gets the return call from Post 4.

“He ran really well. He's going to need to do that again in this race,” trainer Dale Capuano said. “[Post Time] is pretty tough, so he won't be able to fool around. He'll have to run like he did last time. We'll see.”

Johnyz From Albany was sent from his rail post in the Nursery and quickly established command through solid fractions of 22.75 and 46.37 seconds, taking a 4 ½-length lead into the stretch and crossing the wire in 1:11.35. Of his 10 rivals that day only William Earl Atkins' Tiz No Clown, who ran fifth before finishing sixth behind Recruiter in the Nov. 12 James F. Lewis III, returns.

“He broke well and he ran every step of the way last time. That time was pretty good for that day, as well,” Capuano said. “It looks like he's just getting better. He's had a few more races than some of the others, so that's an edge. We'll see if he can step it up and stretch out an extra eighth.”

The Juvenile will be the first time beyond six furlongs for Johnyz From Albany, a gray or roan son of second-year sire Blofeld, whose two Grade 2 victories came at one mile. His dam, Monster Sleeping, won three stakes for Capuano including the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Million Ladies in 2013 and 2015.

“He seems to be more of a sprinter to me at this stage of his career, so we'll see if he can get the seven-eighths. His mother, we won with her from 5 ½ [furlongs] to a mile and an eighth, so he should have it in his blood a little bit. But she stretched out when she got older, not when she was young,” Capuano said. “Hopefully eventually he'll get stretched out. We'll try seven-eighths and see how it goes.”

Hillwood Stable's Post Time will be stepping up into stakes company for the first time after winning his first two starts by 8 ¾ combined lengths for Laurel's fall meet-leading trainer Brittany Russell. He overcame some pre-race antics and an erratic stretch run to rally in debut Oct. 7, an off-the-turf maiden special weight going five furlongs.

Post Time outran his greenness again for a 6 ¾-length optional claiming allowance romp Oct. 27 at the Juvenile distance. He was ridden in both races by ex-jockey Eric Camacho, who now gallops for Russell and has developed a kinship with the son of Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Frosted.

“We always knew that he had a lot of ability. He always worked good, he was always forward. It was always a matter of letting his brain put things together,” Russell said. “He's way better now already. He just likes his job and, hopefully. we continue to see a more mature horse as he keeps moving forward.

“It's there,” she added. “He has to be able to handle a lot of other things like the post parade and all that stuff. He was much better from the first to second start and hopefully he's even better this time.”

Post Time has worked three times since his last race including a half-mile breeze in 48.20 seconds Nov. 26 at Laurel, third-fastest of 53 horses. Camacho rides back from the rail.

“He's great. He hasn't missed a beat. He's been rocking right along,” Russell said. “I'm excited to run him. We'll see what we have, because there's going to be some nice horses in that race, but it seems like the next logical step in his progression.”

Coffeewithchris, fourth after setting the pace in the James Lewis, and maidens California Ghost, Feeling Woozy and Tidewater are also entered. Feeling Woozy is trained by Hamilton Smith, who won the Juvenile previously with Greatbullsoffire (2016) and Red Star Rose (1998).

The post ‘We’ll See If He Can Step It Up’: Johnyz From Albany Faces Six Rivals In Saturday’s Maryland Juvenile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Barber Road returned to Oaklawn bigger and stronger. The hope now, trainer John Ortiz said Monday afternoon, is his new look translates into a new result in upcoming months.

Following a grueling campaign that featured several near misses for a breakthrough victory earlier this year in Hot Springs, Barber Road is targeting the $200,000 Tinsel Stakes Dec. 17 at Oaklawn for his comeback, Ortiz said. The 1 1/8-mile Tinsel, for 3-year-olds and up, would mark the first start for Barber Road since finishing seventh in the Belmont Stakes – the final leg of the Triple Crown – June 11 at Belmont Park and likely his first test against older horses.

“He's sitting on so many close calls at Oaklawn,” said Ortiz, who trains the 3-year-old gray son of multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Race Day for former Walmart executive William Simon's WSS Racing. “We've got to get him a win over the track that he did so well over. We know he loves the track, so we're just excited to go ahead and get started with him. All his training is on schedule. We're basically working backwards from the 17th.”

Ortiz said Barber Road's major local objective is the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles April 22. The Tinsel would serve as a bridge to major local Oaklawn Handicap preps like the $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 18 and the $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles March 18. Race Day, as a 4-year-old, captured the Razorback and Oaklawn Handicap in 2015.

Barber Road was among three horses to go through Oaklawn's four-race Kentucky Derby points series in 2022, finishing second in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 mile, second in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles, third in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles and second in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles.

After running sixth in the Kentucky Derby and competing in the 1 ½-mile Belmont, Barber Road was sent to WinStar Farm in Kentucky for a lengthy vacation, Ortiz said. Barber Road flourished physically during his break, Ortiz said, gaining approximately 200 pounds.

“We've always talked about how immature Barber Road has been,” Ortiz said. “Mentally and physically, we've always thought he needed a lot of maturing to do still to continue to play with those big dogs. So that's why we decided to pull him out and let him grow. Obviously, he did grow. He is still in the midst of growing. He's definitely got a lot more muscle. He grew wider. Lot more muscle tone throughout his entire body. He's still growing taller. He's still a little downhill. His hind end is still a little higher. I think he's still got maybe another inch or 2 to grow. He has made a very big physical change from the summer, which is what I wanted to see. Excited to see how else he can improve.”

Barber Road resumed training around Labor Day at The Thoroughbred Center, also in central Kentucky, and returned to the work tab Oct. 9. Barber Road recorded four more published workouts at The Thoroughbred Center before shipping to Oaklawn earlier this month. In his first breeze this season at Oaklawn, Barber Road worked a half-mile in :49.20 Nov. 23.

“Everything's actually 100 percent on time for Oaklawn, which was our main goal and intention from the beginning, once we pulled the plug on him this summer,” Ortiz said. “After the Belmont, my intention was to give him the rest of the year off and bring him back and campaign him extremely hard through Oaklawn and keep him going. Obviously, our main goal would be eventually to, hopefully, one day make it to the Breeders' Cup.”

Barber Road, who is seeking his first career stakes victory, has a 2-4-1 record from 10 starts overall and earnings of $685,720. He also finished second in the $200,000 Lively Shively Stakes for 2-year-olds in November 2021 at Churchill Downs.

Nominations to the Tinsel close Friday. Millionaire multiple Grade 2 winner Lone Rock captured the inaugural running last year for 2020 Oaklawn training champion Robertino Diodoro.

Ortiz was Oaklawn's co-fourth-leading trainer in 2021-2022 with 27 victories. He has 36 stalls this season at Oaklawn.

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